The Floating Farm in the Netherlands has reversed a decision to sell the site and end milk production, after the cows were moved to nearby farms and a vertical crop unit continued operating in the basement.
The Rotterdam project was originally designed to promote sustainable farming at a new scale. It became the subject of a regulatory dispute after the local environmental department said a newly fitted floor did not comply with regulations. The owners then put the farm up for sale, the 28 resident Dutch MRI cows were removed and were due to be sold, and milk production was set to stop.
That plan has now changed. The farm is not being sold. The cows have been moved to a few other farms around 20 km away, while a vertical salad-growing enterprise remains in the basement of the floating structure.
Milk and crops continue
Peter van Wingerden, who developed the project with Minke van Wingerden, confirmed that production of milk and other dairy produce is continuing and that the vertical farm is performing well. He described the arrangement as another major change of plans.
According to Peter, the cows were transported to different farms near the site. He said the floating farm has the lowest emissions possible because of its modern technology and system, but the rubber floor is German and has no certificate of compliance in the Netherlands.
He also said a stainless steel pipeline has been installed from the quay to the farm. A regular dairy truck brings milk from the dairy to the farm twice a week, at about 1,500 L per batch. The milk supplier is 20 km away, which Peter said gives a very short transport time.
The Floating Farm was the brainchild of Peter and Minke van Wingerden, who invested €4 million to create it with on-site feeding, milking, slurry and dairy production facilities. It opened in May 2019 in the Port of Rotterdam as a futuristic solution to produce food sustainably without the traditional tie-up with land.
During its operation in the port, the farm produced milk and dairy produce for local consumers, who could buy products from vending machines at the site. The concept drew hundreds of thousands of curious visitors from around the world to see the cows.
Vertical unit
The vertical farm is a fully controlled, automated growing space with three layers and conveyor belts, combining grow-room and warehouse technology. Four types of crops are grown there: micro-greens harvested every two weeks, herbs every three weeks, leafy greens every four weeks and edible flowers every four to five weeks.
The products are turned into tea, pesto, Parmigiano cheese, herb-infused salts and herb-infused whey, according to Peter. The vertical farm is based below the waterline of the floating farm and is cooled by the water.
The site is not expected to remain in the port indefinitely. Peter said the Floating Farm will have to leave in just over two years because the entire area is due to become residential. He said this is not the vision the project began with, but that the operators are coping with the system.